New trial begins in murder case of Cape Town botanist couple
A fresh trial of three people accused of killing Cape Town-based botanists, Rodney and Rachel Saunders has begun in the Durban High Court.
There was a heavy police presence as Safydeen Aslam Del Vecchio, Fatima Patel and Ahmad Mussa were expected in the dock on Tuesday.
The accused, who've been linked to Isis, face charges of kidnapping, robbery and murder.
The Saunders, who were born in the United Kingdom, disappeared near Bivane Dam in Vryheid in February 2018.
Their bodies were found separately a few weeks later.
The trial began last year but came to a halt when the judge recused herself as she had dealt with a related matter.
Heavily armed members of the Police Special Task Force filled the courtroom today for the start of the fresh trial.
Seventy witnesses are expected to be called.
They'll present DNA and expert evidence on the post-mortem results and forensic anthropologist reports.
